Spring-clip cover



Sept. 8, W25.

A. B. BEZTMAN SPRING CLIP COVER Filed April 1925 Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT B. BEITMAN, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALBE MANUFACTURr ING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO. 1

SPRING-CLIP COVER.

Application filed April 2, 1925. Serial No. 20,091.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. BEITMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spring-Clip Covers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an appurtenance to vehicle spring covers of the kind shown in myco-pending application Serial No. 559,- 999, filed May 11, 1922.

Spring covers of the sort referred to are comprised of a piece of flexible material which is adapted to be drawn about a vehicle spring with its edges overlapped and con-- neoted together. My former application above identified relates particularly to the means for fastening the edges of the cover together.

In applying such a cover to a vehicle spring having, as they usually do, a spring clip, it is necessary to cut the material adjacent the ends of the U-shaped member of the clip so that said ends and the ends of the spring clip bolt may protrude through the cover so as not to interfere with the tit of the cover in the immediate vicinity of the clip. Ordinarily the holes in the cover through which the ends of the spring clip extend present a more or less unsightly appearance and various contrivances have been used for concealing these openings.

The primary purpose of my invention is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive device, known as a spring clip cover, for application to the spring clip and which will conceal the aforesaid openings and impart to the assembly a neat and attractive appearance.

Another object is to make the device adjustable to springs of different widths so that a device of a given size may be supplied with a spring cover and, like the cover,

e capableof use. on various width springs, it being understood that the edg portions of the spring cover are adapted to be overlapped to a greater or less degree. according to the width of the vehicle spring;

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an adjustable device of the aforesaid character which is comprised of telescoping members, said members having interlocking parts which serve to retain the members against'separation after they are applied to the clip and drawing togetherso as to;

properly fitthe spring.

A further object of the invention isto design the device for cooperation with the head and nut of the spring bolt in such man ner as to hold the nut and bolt from turning, the. device thus serving asan efficient nut lock.

A still further object is to provide a device of theabove mentioned nature that is comprised of a plurality of' members, the members being adjustable with respect to each other and so designed that, regardless of the various relative positions which they may assume, they present asymmetrical'appearance.

The objects above enumerated, with others hereinafter appearing, are attained in the embodiment of the invention illustrated 111 the accompanying drawing wherein F ig. 1 is a perspective view ofthe device which, with a spring cover, is shown appliedto'a vehicle spring; Fig. 2 is an end view of the device; Fig. 3 showsthe device inside elevation with its members separated, Fig. 4 is a left hand end elevation of the right hand member of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device with the members separated as in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through one side of the device with'the members telescoped to the maximum extent so as .to fit the narrowest spring with which the device is designed for use, the plane of iection being indicated by the line 6-6 of According to the present embodiment, the device is comprised of two members designated 1 and 2. These are preferably die stamped from'sheet metal. Each member is formed with an arched central portion 3 that merges at its opposite sidesinto flanges 4, connected together at their outer ends by plates 5 which have their middle portions offset from theplane of their end portions, as indicated at 6, to pass about the side branches of the U-shaped member of the clip. The inner ends of the arched portion 3 and the flanges 4; of member 1 are inset a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the metal whereof the members are made so as to telescope Within the member 2. The side flanges t ofthe latter member are turned downwardly and inwardly to provide chan nels 7 into which the offset portions 4 of the flanges 4 of member 1 are guided when the members are brought together. Shown as struck upwardly from the bottom flanges of the channel 7 are tongues 8 that are adapted to enter openings 9 in the flanges P, the cooperation of these parts being best shown in Fig. 6.

The upper edges of portion 6 of the end plates 5 are shown as having notches 10 of a size and shape to fit, respectively, the head of the spring clip bolt 11 and the nut 12 that is applied to the threaded end thereof.

After the spring cover 15 is applied to the spring 16 in the usual way, and cut to accommodate the ends of the spring clip 17 the members 1 and 2 of my improved spring clip cover are interengaged as described, but in the beginning are not telescoped enough to fit the spring. In this condition the device is placed over the spring clip and the members are then forced together as far as the width of the spring will permit, the tongues 8 entering the appropriate ones of the openings 9 to maintain the members against separation. With the bolt and nut properly positioned, the notches 10 will embrace the head of th bolt and the nut and hold them from turning.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An appurtenance to vehicle spring covers of the class described comprising a plurality of members that are adjustable with respect to each other and designed to fit. across and overlie the sides of the spring about the spring clip.

2. An appurtenance to vehicle spring covers of the class described comprising a plurality of members that are adjustable with respect to each other and designed to fit across the spring and overlie the sides thereof about the spring clip, the members having interengaging parts for holding them against separation.

3. An appurtenance to vehicle spring covers of the class described comprising a plurality of members that are adjustable with respect to each other and designed to fit across the spring and overlie the sides thereof about the spring clip, the members having interengaging parts for holding them against separation, said parts automatically assuming effective condition as the members are brought together to fit the spring.

4. An appurtenance to vehicle spring covers of the class described comprising a plurality of members that are adjustable with-respect to each other and designed to fit across the spring and overlie the sides thereof about the spring clip, the device having parts engaging the head and nut of the spring clip bolt to hold them against turning.

5. An appurtenance to vehicle spring covers of the class described comprising a plurality of members that are adjustable with respect to each other and designed to it across the spring and overlie the sides thereof about the spring clip, one of the members having a part which cooperates with the nut of the spring clip bolt, to hold the nut against turning.

6. A spring clip cover comprising telescoping members designed to fit across a vehicle spring and to extend over side portions thereof about the spring clip.

7. A spring clip cover comprising telescoping members designed to fit across a vehicle spring and to extend over side portions thereof about the spring clip, the parts of said members which overlie the sides of said spring being designed to engage the head and nut of the spring clip bolt in such manner as to hold them against turning.

8. A spring clip cover comprising telescoping members designed to fit across a vehicle spring and to extend over side portions thereof about the spring clip, the telescoping portions of said members having interengaging parts which serve to hold the members against separation.

9. A spring clip cover comprising two members, each having a part that is adapted to extend transversely of the vehicle spring and another part that is adapted to engage the side of the spring, the former part being arched longitudinally so as to extend over the spring clip bolt and the latter part being offset to accommodate the adjacent side branch of the clip, the members being adjustable with respect to each other.

10. A spring clip cover comprising two members, each having a part that is adapted to extend transversely of the vehicle spring and another part that is adapted to engage the side of the spring, the former part being arched longitudinally so as to extend over the spring clip bolt and the latter part, being offset to accommodate the adjacent side branch of the clip, the inner end portion of one of said members being inset so as to telescope within the other member.

11. A spring clip cover comprising two members, each having a part that is adapted to extend transversely of the vehicle spring and another part that is adapted to engage the side of the spring, the former part being arched longitudinally so as to extend over the spring clip bolt and the latter part being offset to accommodate the adjacent side branch of the clip, the inner .end portion of one of said members being inset so as to telescope within the other member, and means for holding said members against separation in a longitudinal direction.

12. A spring clip cover comprising two members each having a part adapted to extend transversely of the spring and another part that is arranged to extend over the side of the spring, the former part being arched longitudinally at its center to extend over the spring clip bolt and merging along the sides thereof into flanges that are substantially parallel to the adjacent surface of the spring, the inner end of the first mentioned part of one of said members being inset so as to telescope within the corresponding part of the other member, the flanges of the latter member being extended downwardly and inwardly to form channels into which the inset portions of the flanges of the other member are arranged to slide.

13. A spring clip cover comprising two members each having a part adapted to extend transversely of the spring and another part that is arranged to extend over the side of the spring, the former part being arched longitudinally at its center to extend over the spring clip bolt and merging along the sides thereof into flanges that are substantially parallel to the adjacent surface of the spring, the inner end of the first mentioned part of one of said members being inset so as to telescope Within the corresponding part of the other member, the flanges of the latter member being extended downwardly and inwardly to form channels into which the inset portions of the flanges of the other member are arranged to slide, the flange which enters one of said channels being provided with a series of openings, while the flange extension that forms the bottom of said channel is provided with a protuberance thatis adapted to enter said openings.

14. A spring clip cover comprising two members each having a part that is adapted to extend transversely of a vehicle spring and another part substantially at right angles thereto for engagementwith a side portion of the spring, the former part being arched longitudinally to extend across the spring clip bolt, the inner end of said former part of one of the members being inset a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the metal whereof the member is formed so as to telescope Within the other member, the non-telescoping part of the entering member being of a length substantially equal to the entire length of the receiving member whereby a symmetrical appearance is effected regardless of the extent to which the entering member is telescoped within the receiving member.

15. A spring clip cover comprising a part arranged to extend across a vehicle spring and parts extending from the ends thereof and arranged to overli the adjacent side portions of the spring, the former part being shaped to accommodate the spring clip bolt, there being openings between the first mentioned part and the end parts through which openings the ends of the spring clip protrude, the upper edge portions of said end parts being shaped for engagement with the head and nut of the spring clip bolt to hold said bolt and nut from turning.

16. A spring clip cover comprlsing opposed members that are adjustable with respect to each other, each comprising a part that is arranged to extend transversely of the spring and a part disposed at substantially right angles to the former part and which is adapted to overlie the adjacent side portion of the spring, the former part being arched longitudinally so as to extend over the spring clip bolt and the latter part being offset at its middle so as to extend about the adjacent side member of the clip, there being an openin between said offset portion and the arche through which the corresponding end of the portion of each member clip protrudes, the upper edge of the offset 1 portion of each member being designed to embrace the head or nut of the spring clip bolt and hold it from turning.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

ALBERT B. BEITMAN. 

